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With one in three pastors admitting to an affair, churches are now facing a problem of epidemic proportions. Over 1,500 pastors each month leave their church due to some kind of moral failure. And when it happens, the effects are devastating to everyone involved. With so many pastors experiencing the same problem, it’s time to bring the issue to light. Is restoration even possible when someone in leadership fails?

Fallen Pastor takes an unflinching look into the problems and perils facing so many pastors. It dives into the stories of those who have fallen and asks and answers the hard question of, “Why?” Author Ray Carroll takes a deep look into his own story of adultery and the stories of so many pastors like him, who lost so much in the wake of their decisions. Ray identifies the common decisions and cultural issues that continuously lead to the exact same outcome, issues like isolation, the church mistress, judgmentalism, and idolatry. Ray offers no justification for what happened, instead seeking understanding that leads to a Biblical response of restoration.

Fallen Pastor offers perspective and hope for those seeking answers and healing in the wake of these failures. It takes a deep look at why it happens. It also take the next step and offers solutions to those wanting to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. Churches could actually begin to change and even stop the problem.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ray Carroll is a former Southern Baptist pastor who was removed from his church after falling from the ministry. He writes at fallenpastor.com, attempting to help other fallen pastors and churches affected by sin. He lives in Kentucky where he is married to Allison and has three daughters.

More About the Author

I'm a former Southern Baptist pastor who fell from grace after breaking the seventh commandment. I blog at www.fallenpastor.com.

I am a certified athletic trainer by trade and an author as well. I am author of "Fallen Pastor: Finding Restoration in a Broken World," from Civitas Press. I contributed an essay to "The Practice of Love: Real Stories of Living Into the Kingdom of God," under my pseudonym Arthur Dimmesdale.

I blog regularly at www.fallenpastor.com where I write about the issues of restoration, forgiveness, and grace. If you are a pastor in need of help, a church whose pastor just fell, or looking for answers, you can contact me there.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Because I minister to wounded Christians, I was intrigued by "Fallen Pastor" and its assertion that clergy members who fail need as much grace and restoration as other believers. Evidently not everyone agrees.

In his book detailing how committing adultery cost him his ministry and marriage, Ray Carroll shares the stories of eleven other fallen pastors. What those pastors experienced reveals how unprepared most church leaders are in dealing with a minister's moral failure. All too often, they demand a pastor's immediate resignation and exit from the premises with no offer of counseling or restorative assistance. The congregation is also left to struggle with its own spiritual wounds.

I appreciate Carroll's explanation of how the church body is built up when leadership responds correctly to fallen pastors instead of casting them aside. The transgression is not excused; it is transcended through grace and forgiveness by following the apostle Paul's instruction to gently restore those caught in sin.

One example of the value of restoration is reflected by a deeply remorseful pastor named Denny. As he received professional counseling to address his underlying issues, he was amazed at how God used him to minister to others who were also seeking forgiveness. Today, as a successful motivational speaker, Denny listens to the stories of many broken people, including fallen pastors and those who've been affected by their failures. His message to those who are hurting is, "Wherever you are, God still loves you."

In the world we live in today, you do not have to look too far to realize that sin is evident. Many people have a skewed view of sin and start looking at the lives of others, judging them for what they do in their lives, but do not even give consideration to the sin that is their lives. This is often the case with many avid church-goers. They become so wrapped up in themselves, their self-righteousness, that they fail to remember that they are simply sinners saved by grace.

In addition to being self-righteous, these same people often times put the pastor of the church on a pedestal and think that he is perfect, when in actuality, he is not. When the "perfect pastor" falls, they are astonished and want nothing to do with them anymore. Pastors are not perfect people because everyone that lives is tempted in someway, and sin in someway each day. It should be of no surprise when an imperfect person sins against a perfect God.

It should be of no surprise, and we should not advocate sin, but we also should not just kick someone out and treat them like they cannot be forgiven. Instead of kicking people out because of sin, upon true repentance, we should love them like Jesus. It is a sad reality that when pastors fall, even with true repentance, people kick them out and want nothing more to do with them.

In the book, "Fallen Pastor", we are provided with many real life examples of pastors that had fallen. While the pastors mentioned book fell, that does not give the church the right to kick them out of the church and treat them like they are garbage. Upon true heart-felt repentance, the churches should have loved them like Jesus and sought to restore them to right relationship with God.Read more ›

Society is riddled with sin and temptation. Take a stroll around your local mall, and see if you're not tempted. You are likely lying to yourself and others if you say you don't find the images tempting.

Imagine that you are a pastor of a church. Pastor's don't suffer from temptations, right?

WRONG.

Pastors, and this may come to be a shock to some of you, are human, they sin, they deal with the same temptations, struggles, pains, etc.. that you deal with. Pastor's are called to be shepherds and guide people to become disciples of Christ. No small feat, as screwed up as you and I are in this world.

Ray Caroll's book, Fallen Pastor is a book that should be handed out to every seminary student, or anyone that is in ministry.

Scratch that, every adult should read this book. Just because you don't speak from a pulpit, doesn't mean you won't be tempted.

Here's some questions from the book, that really puts things in perspective:

Have you been with a woman anywhere in the past week, that might be seen as compromising? Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity? Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material? Have you invested sufficient time with your family?

The formula for fallen pastors is within many church bodies. Have the pastor lifted up like he was the Second Coming, have everyone go to him at all hours of the day with their concerns, struggles, difficulties.

Next, expect the pastor to work insane hours, away from family, away from The Bible.

Now your pastor is tired, wired on coffee (coffee is the official beverage of pastors), disengaged with his wife and family.Read more ›